Is being in an area of Virginia that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, while others want peace and quiet like in Bluefield and Richlands, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Virginia have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Old Dominion that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Virginia For 2025
What’s the fastest growing city in Virginia for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Culpeper ranks as the fastest-growing city in Virginia. If you happen to be a resident of Culpeper, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Virginia grow like weeds.
For more Virginia state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Virginia For 2025
1. Culpeper
/10
Population: 20,437
Population 2010: 15,607
Percent Growth 30.9%
Absolute Growth: 4,830
More on Culpeper: Data
2. Manassas Park
/10
Population: 16,923
Population 2010: 13,195
Percent Growth 28.3%
Absolute Growth: 3,728
More on Manassas Park: Data
3. Falls Church
/10
Population: 14,593
Population 2010: 11,465
Percent Growth 27.3%
Absolute Growth: 3,128
More on Falls Church: Data
4. Purcellville
/10
Population: 8,974
Population 2010: 7,102
Percent Growth 26.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,872
More on Purcellville: Data
5. Fredericksburg
/10
Population: 28,383
Population 2010: 23,375
Percent Growth 21.4%
Absolute Growth: 5,008
More on Fredericksburg: Data
6. Leesburg
/10
Population: 48,788
Population 2010: 40,713
Percent Growth 19.8%
Absolute Growth: 8,075
More on Leesburg: Data
7. Bridgewater
/10
Population: 6,650
Population 2010: 5,581
Percent Growth 19.2%
Absolute Growth: 1,069
More on Bridgewater: Data
8. Manassas
/10
Population: 42,674
Population 2010: 36,067
Percent Growth 18.3%
Absolute Growth: 6,607
More on Manassas: Data
9. Strasburg
/10
Population: 7,162
Population 2010: 6,081
Percent Growth 17.8%
Absolute Growth: 1,081
More on Strasburg: Data
10. Alexandria
/10
Population: 156,788
Population 2010: 133,647
Percent Growth 17.3%
Absolute Growth: 23,141
More on Alexandria: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Old Dominion for 2025
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2023)
We ranked all 62 Virginia cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Old Dominion.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Virginia.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Virginia with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Virginia, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Virginia are led by Culpeper which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Virginia are Culpeper, Manassas Park, Falls Church, Purcellville, Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Bridgewater, Manassas, Strasburg, and Alexandria.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Richlands
- Farmville
- Bluefield
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
Fastest Growing Places In Virginia For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culpeper | 20,437 | 15,607 | 30.9% | 4,830 |
| 2 | Manassas Park | 16,923 | 13,195 | 28.3% | 3,728 |
| 3 | Falls Church | 14,593 | 11,465 | 27.3% | 3,128 |
| 4 | Purcellville | 8,974 | 7,102 | 26.4% | 1,872 |
| 5 | Fredericksburg | 28,383 | 23,375 | 21.4% | 5,008 |
| 6 | Leesburg | 48,788 | 40,713 | 19.8% | 8,075 |
| 7 | Bridgewater | 6,650 | 5,581 | 19.2% | 1,069 |
| 8 | Manassas | 42,674 | 36,067 | 18.3% | 6,607 |
| 9 | Strasburg | 7,162 | 6,081 | 17.8% | 1,081 |
| 10 | Alexandria | 156,788 | 133,647 | 17.3% | 23,141 |